Pinot Noir is a notoriously fickle variety and one must be ready to accept the challenges that come with farming this grape. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. Belly of the Whale is crafted from Sun Chase Vineyard fruit which sits high a west facing slope in the southern portion of the Sonoma Coast appellation. The cool, high elevation slopes that act as a gateway to the rest of Sonoma County’s wine country. This wine is a perfect blend of clones 667 and 777. Full extraction of color and flavor was achieved through twice daily punch downs by hand, as cold-soak through end of fermentation in tank lasted 21 days. Once dry, the wine was racked to 75% new French oak barrels where it aged undisturbed for 18 months before finally coming to rest in bottle.

Here we cross the threshold where we pass from the world we know into a realm rife with danger. The world grows dark. Inky black raspberry, damp earth, and dried and decaying flowers depict the profile of these grapes born of older Pinot Noir vines. Unfined and unfiltered, this is a wine capable of slumbering in your cellar for 10-15 years. The Belly of the Whale is the Sonoma Coast as you’ve never seen it before. There’s no going back.

BIBIANA GONZÁLEZ RAVE

I grew up in a country where vineyards are virtually non-existent. My exposure to wine was limited only to rare occasions at the dinner table. A few sips occasionally stolen from my father’s wine glass were enough to inspire an all-consuming dream—to become a winemaker. So I packed my bags and left for France. And in that moment I set the course of my life, a never-ending journey pursuing inspirational wines. During the summer of 2001, I immersed myself in all things wine, ultimately earning a BTS degree in Viticulture and Enology from Cognac followed by a degree in Enology from the University of Bordeaux, graduating with honors.

Driven by the tenacity which first took me to France, I pruned vines during ice-cold winters, trimmed shoots in sweltering summers, and tended to the vines that cling to the sheer slopes of Côte-Rôtie—first at Domaine Stéphane Ogier, then at Domaine Clusel-Roch. At the famed estates of Château Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion, I completed research for my thesis. This hard work paid off – I had the privilege to work among other family-owned wine producers in Burgundy, Alsace, and Cognac. My passion for wine whisked me around the globe, sending me between California, South Africa, and France for several years before I decided to call California my home.

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